West Columbia Dentist | The Periodontal Disease – Diabetes Connection

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Nearly 30 million Americans suffer from diabetes. Almost 65
million Americans have periodontal disease. Recent studies have suggested that
there is a two-way connection between diabetes and periodontal (gum) disease.
Patients with gum disease have increased risk of other diabetic complications
and patients with diabetes are more prone to developing gum disease.

Gum disease causes inflammation in the body, which can make
controlling blood sugar more difficult for diabetic patients. Severe
periodontal disease has even been shown to increase blood sugar, making it more
difficult to maintain or regain good blood sugar control. In addition, when
blood sugar is elevated, patients experience increased risks of additional
diabetic complications.

Patients with diabetes are more prone to infections in
general. This is especially true for patients whose diabetes is not well
controlled. Diabetic patients with poor blood sugar control are more likely to
develop gum disease than patients whose diabetes is well controlled. Less
controlled diabetic patients will generally have a more severe case of gum
disease and are likely to lose more teeth from gum disease, as well.

Besides blood sugar control, diabetes includes a number of
other health complications. Diabetic patients are more prone to other oral
health issues, such as dry mouth or thrush (a fungal infection of the mouth).
Reduced saliva production or infection in the mouth can increase risks of
developing periodontal disease as well.

Smoking can escalate these risks even further. Studies have
shown that smokers are 5 times more likely than non-smokers to develop gum
disease, overall. Diabetic smokers age 45 or older have been found to be 20
times more likely to develop severe gum disease.

Fortunately, when diabetes and blood sugar are
well-controlled, the risks of periodontal disease and other oral health
complications are no different than for patients without diabetes. If you are
diabetic, it is important to work with your doctor to keep your blood sugar
under control as much as possible to avoid these added health complications.

Be sure to let us know if you have diabetes and how
well-controlled it is. We may need to discuss your medication schedule when
planning treatments or to postpone a treatment if your blood sugar is not
controlled. Keep in mind that healing from treatment can take longer for
diabetic patients, even when blood sugar is well-controlled.

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Our team is very responsive. If we do not return your email immediately, please know that we may have not received it. For important matters, please call our office. E-mail is never a fully secure form of communication. If you prefer to share protected personal information, you may choose to contact us by phone.

Contact Our West Columbia Dental Office

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Our team is very responsive. If we do not return your email immediately, please know that we may have not received it. For important matters, please call our office. E-mail is never a fully secure form of communication. If you prefer to share protected personal information, you may choose to contact us by phone.